Answers
by Angie-chan
Summary: Since the events that unfolded in China six months ago, Leon has been searching for answers. After several failed attempts to track Ada Wong, he's called in to investigate an outbreak in California's capitol. Funny thing is, Miss Wong has a habit for showing up whenever there are B.O.W.s afoot. Will Leon be able to reunite with Ada and finally hear the truth? Post RE6 LeonxAda
1. The Last Place You Look

So, it's been a very long time since I've written a fanfic. Honestly, it's been a long time since I've written anything at all. I'm sure I'm a little rusty, so forgive any errors. Even better, let me know about them so I can fix them. After playing the Resident Evil 2 remake, I was inspired to play through the entire series. Now that I'm done, I can't get the universe out of my head! Especially Leon and Ada. I'm hoping to get this obsession out of my system by just letting it all out here. I'm going to do my best to stay true to the source material, but if you catch any incorrect information, please bring it to my attention so I can correct it. I'd also like to talk about the setting. I'm using the California State capitol building for two reasons: First, they always say write what you know, and I know Sacramento. Second, if you've ever seen the inside of this building, you'll understand why I picked it. It SCREAMS Resident Evil. Just Google "California Capitol Building rotunda" and you'll get it. While I have been to this location, it's been a really long time, so I'm mostly using Google images and the museum's website for reference, so again, I apologize about any incorrect information. I'll just be honest right now, and tell you that I'm going to make up a lot of the building's interior. That's all for my author's notes. I hope you enjoy the story! I would love to hear any and all input, so please review!

~~~Chapter One~~~

Leon stepped lightly down the wet sidewalk of a nearly deserted downtown Sacramento, gun in hand. California's capitol had been evacuated the previous day, when news of a B.O.W. Outbreak had reached D.C. Once the majority had been evacuated, the entire city had been quarantined. Every exit and entrance, blocked. It appeared as though no living humans remained. Even the zombie's numbers were low. The main streets had already been cleared by the B.S.A.A. As if punctuating this assertion, machine gun shots fired off in the distance. The evidence of what occurred could be seen in the carnage that was left behind.

Wrecked and abandoned vehicles blocked the roads. Storefronts and windows had been smashed to pieces. Bodies littered the streets. It was easy to imagine the chaos that lead up to the city's current state. Leon only had to close his eyes to hear the screams. According to his briefing, the incident began roughly around 9pm, the day before last. The first 911 calls came from the capitol building, making it a likely location for the initial outbreak. The yet unidentified virus spread quickly, and the city was enveloped in chaos. Fortunately, the appropriate authorities were informed immediately. Within 24 hours, a perimeter of barricades had been set up, and all survivors who made it out were sent to quarantine camps to ensure no infected were allowed to escape and spread the virus. B.S.A.A. officers had been dispatched throughout the city to locate survivors while clearing infected. Leon was here to find out what the hell happened to cause this mess.

"The one up side to this shit happening over and over is that we're at least getting more efficient about cleaning it up," Leon's mouth curled in a sour smirk. He was used to being alone among throngs of the undead, forced to fend for himself against hundreds of hungry foes. It was unusual for the veteran B.O.W. hunter to show up this late in the game. This looked like it was going to be a walk in the park.

The reason for his tardiness was that he had been out of the country on personal business. He'd received intel on the possible whereabouts of a woman he had been trying to track for months. His search had taken him to France, but the lead turned out to be fruitless. Just the most recent in a series of failed attempts. It was almost a relief when he got the call from HQ. At least this was a problem he knew how to tackle. Sidestepping a corpse, the special agent made his way toward the capital building. The state of the roads made it impossible to proceed in a vehicle, so it was necessary to navigate on foot. A nearby street sign indicated he only had a few more blocks to go. A voice sounded from his headset.

"Leon, what's the situation there?"

"I'm sure you can guess, Hunnigan."

The operations coordinator sighed audibly. "Pretend I have no idea."

Leon couldn't help but grin. In the years he'd worked with Ingrid Hunnigan, she had loosened her no-nonsense, business only persona a bit. It never ceased to amuse him when he was able to annoy her. "Well, as you can imagine, the city is a mess. On the bright side, the B.S.A.A. has done a pretty good job taking out infected. I haven't encountered any hostiles yet."

"Good. Let's hope it stays that way," before he was able to respond with sarcasm, she continued, "Have you reached the capitol building yet?"

"No, but I'm not far from it. I can see it up ahead."

"Proceed cautiously, Leon. My reports show that that building hasn't been cleared yet. It seems B.S.A.A. officers have only done a run through the main roads so far. As far as we know, the capitol building could be teeming with B.O.W.s"

"Yeah, that sounds like my luck," Kennedy grumbled. "Don't worry, Hunnigan. I've been in worse situations than this."

"I know, but that's no reason to let your guard down."

"My guard is all the way up. I promise. I'm approaching the building now. I'll let you know what I find," without waiting for a response, he added, "Leon out."

Broken glass crunched under his steel toe boots, as he stepped into the courtyard of the huge, white building. It was all pristine white columns and ornate molding, a giant dome rising from its center. If it wasn't surrounded by corpses and wreckage, it would be a lovely sight. The steps leading to the building's double doors were slick with blood. It was no wonder, seeing what remained of several bodies, strewn about. The entrance's double doors were half open, with what remained of a body holding the left side ajar.

"What a welcome mat."

Pushing the right side open, Leon carefully stepped over the zombie's dinner leftovers. The interior of the building didn't look much better. Looking over the large, circular room, it was clear that a massacre had occurred. The black and white checkered tiles were splattered with blood and remains. There were few bodies on the ground, but plenty ambling around the room, taking jerky steps on rotting legs. The intricately molded walls curved into a balcony overhead. Above that, the ceiling stretched up to form the interior of the huge dome he had seen outside, the very top made of glass, letting streams of sunlight into the otherwise unlit room. In the center of the room was a statue depicting three figures. It appeared to be a Queen, a man, and a child. The acoustics of the vast room made the soft moans of the scattered undead bounce around eerily.

Still at the entrance, Leon did a quick hostile count. There were at least two dozen that he could see. The hallways branching off the main room were likely to hold even more. Even if he was willing to waste the ammo, firing his gun would only draw more to his location. While the virus at work here hadn't been identified yet, it's effects seemed familiar. These zombies were reminiscent of those he had faced in Raccoon City all those years ago.

"Slow and stupid," he mused. "I can work with this."

Kennedy slowly crept his way around the perimeter of the room. His goal was the hallway to his right. It was as good as place as any to start searching, and getting out of the open would reduce his chance of being surrounded. Keeping his eyes on the zombies nearest to him, Leon continued forward, even going as far to mimic the movements of an infected to avoid detection. Nearing the open hallway, he was pleased to see it was free of B.O.W.s. Leon was about to congratulate himself on making it through undetected when a shrill scream echoed out from down the hallway he was about to enter. The tawny haired man froze in place. At once, every head in the room turned to face him.

"Fuck."

Leon made a mad dash away from the room filled with his new friends. He glanced into each open room he passed, searching for the source of the scream. While some held infected, there wasn't a living human in sight. The hallway filled with shuffling bodies behind him. There was no time to search any more thoroughly. To his right, a door marked "staff" came into view. Fortunately, it was unlocked, and the former police offer threw himself through it, slamming it shut behind him. He twisted the lock and turned to scan the room for something to block the door with. Instead, he found a gun pointed at his face.

"Well, well, well…" a low, velvety voice purred from behind the barrel. "Look who decided to drop in for a visit. I know you miss me, but now really isn't a good time."

Lowering the weapon, short, jet-black hair came into view, followed by piercing eyes and a cat-like smile.

Leon's breath caught in his throat as he stared at the woman he had been searching for the past six months. "Ada!"

The woman cocked her head slightly and smirked, "Long time no see."


	2. Knight in Shining Armor

~~~Chapter 2~~~

Six months previous, Leon Kennedy had been at a loss. He had helped stop what might have been the end of the known world, but in the end, he was left with more questions than answers. On paper, it was stated that the mastermind behind the whole ordeal was none other than Ada Wong. It was also on paper that she had been taken out. Leon had failed to correct this misinformation, and without being prompted, Helena had done the same. He did feel guilty for hiding the truth, but if it got out that Wong was alive, she would be on every most wanted list. He only wondered if that was what she deserved. According to documentation, she had planned on infecting the entire world, and nearly succeeded. The C-Virus had been distributed to so many victims. The damage was extensive. Chris Redfield himself was witness to several murders at Wong's hands.

Despite this information, Leon just couldn't bring himself to believe Ada was really the one responsible. He'd known her to be secretive, and sometimes even untrustworthy, but never had he seen her harm anyone (or thing) that hadn't had it coming. Not to mention all the times she had saved his life. Lying and stealing he could believe, but effectively destroying the world? It just didn't add up.

So began his personal mission to find the woman and ask her himself. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done. The woman was like a shadow. Every time he tried to shine a light on her, she became less visible. He used all his personal time, tracking leads and listening to whispers. It was all in vain. His most recent tip that had taken him to France had him nearing the end of his patience. This quest had become his obsession. He had to know the truth about Ada Wong.

o-o-o-o-o-o

The sound on several bodies slamming into the locked door snapped Leon out of his stupor. Coming to his senses, he noticed a large, wooden bookshelf against the wall, next to the door. He threw himself against it, but it barely moved. Ada clicked over on red heels and helped push it in front of the door. She wore a black pencil skirt and a white button-down blouse. A black choker circled her slender neck, with an oval ruby centered over her throat. Being this close to the woman he had been so desperately searching for felt surreal. He feared taking his eyes off her, knowing she'd disappear the second he did.

After securing the door, the mercenary walked back to where she had been previously, in front of a wall of security monitors, and removed a thumb-drive from one of the present computer towers. She placed it in her bra, as she turned to face Leon who had yet to find words.

"So, did you come all this way to see little old me, or are you here on other business?" She folded her arms and leaned against the wall.

"I'm here to find out who caused this mess," The agent took a step closer, "And I found you."

Ada let out a gasp, feigning shock and holding her hand to her heart. "Why, Leon, are you accusing me of all people? And, here I thought we were friends."

"According to a lot of people, you did a lot worse in China."

"What about you, hm?" She closed the gap between herself and Kennedy, "Do you believe I was responsible?"

It was hard for Leon to think with Ada so close. The faint scent of her perfume was enough to make him forget everything he'd wanted to say to her. Even the pounding on the door felt far away and unimportant. Forcing himself back on track, he locked eyes with the woman who haunted his dreams. "I don't know what to believe."

"The answer is simple." Wong sat on the edge of the security desk, "What could I possibly have to gain from spreading the C-Virus? Have you ever known me to do anything without reason?"

"I never know why you do anything!"

Ada laughed at the outburst, "Poor thing. You're just so confused, aren't you? I love that look on you. It reminds me of a lost puppy. So cute."

Leon clenched his fist, "This isn't a joke, Ada. I've been looking for you. I want to know the truth. About what happened. About what you are."

The smile left the woman's face. "What I am is out of time for your little Q and A session."

She got up and made for the unblocked exit of the room. Leon grabbed her wrist before she could escape.

"I saw a video," he began. She froze at the statement. "I saw someone being born… from some sort of cocoon. She… looked like you."

Ada turned to face the special agent, and responded nonchalantly, "Yeah, she did look like me, didn't she?"

Kennedy loosened his grip, a sense of relief washing over him. "Who was she?"

"Does it even matter?" shaking her wrist from Leon's grasp, she turned herself away once more. "She's dead now, and all evidence of her existence has been destroyed. It's over and done with. Let it go."

"How am I supposed to 'let it go'?" The man raised his voice, frustration returning. "I just want to know what really happened. I can help you clear your name."

Ada chuckled, "And why would I want to do that? The world thinks I'm dead, and that works out just fine for me."

"Well, that's not fine with me," He spun her around, to look her in the eyes, leaving his hands on her shoulders. "I want to know more than just the truth about China. I want to know you. I can't do that if you're in hiding."

For a moment, the raven-haired woman was at a loss for words. It was not a familiar feeling for her. She met his gaze, taking in his face. The years had turned the baby-faced youth she had met so many years ago into a battle-hardened man. He had clearly missed a shave or two, and fine lines were beginning to form around his eyes. If anything, he was more handsome now than when they had met. However, she didn't have the luxury of entertaining these thoughts.

"What do you think this is? Some kind of soap opera?" She backed away, removing herself from Leon's touch. "Five minutes ago, you thought I was some freak, born in a lab. Now you want to live happily ever after?"

"Ada, I-"

"You can't be everyone's knight in shining armor, Leon," a loud crack, alerted them to the door breaking behind the bookshelf.

Kennedy looked from the door back to Wong. He didn't know how to respond, and it was clear that they were running out of time. Her eyes were locked on the bookshelf as she backed away, towards the rear exit of the room.

"Let's just get out of here, and-" before he could finish his sentence, the shelf came crashing down. The splintered remains of the door were pushed aside by the throng of undead fighting to get through.

Ada was already exiting the room, and Leon quickly followed. There were infected in this hallway, but far fewer than what they faced in the other direction. Kennedy pulled out his knife, holding it in conjunction with his gun. He tried to catch up to the mercenary, but she was ridiculously quick on her feet. Effortlessly dodging the undead in her path, she turned a corner and vanished from site. Leon not being as acrobatic, was left trailing behind, forced to deal with the zombies the spy left in her wake. He followed her path, but around that bend, there were several doors she could have taken. It seemed hopeless to continue chasing her. Taking out a nearby zombie with a knife to it's brain, he chose the nearest doorway, and hoped for the best. To his surprise, he was greeted by a vase, flying toward his head, accompanied by a familiar shriek.

Leon dodged the ceramic vessel and turned his attention to his attacker. Crouched behind a desk was a well-dressed black woman who looked like she had just survived a nightmare. Her lavender skirt suit was ripped and stained with blood. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she had little cuts and bruises all over the exposed parts of her limbs. The lady appeared to be in her thirties, with her hair pulled back into a large bun on the back of her head, and an air of authority to her.

"Are… you alive?" The woman asked in a shaky voice.

"Well, I don't want to eat you, if that's what you're worried about."

She slumped her shoulders in relief, supporting herself with the desk she had been ducking behind. "Thank god… I thought I was the only one left."

"Far from it," he responded encouragingly. "The B.S.A.A. is making their rounds, and all of the survivors are in quarantine camps outside of the city. Don't worry. You're getting out of here."

The woman teared up, finally seeing the light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

"At least one woman is happy to see me," he muttered under his breath.

The woman gasped, bringing Leon out of his pity party. Her eyes locked behind him, and he knew the drill. Spinning on his heel, he came face to face with a nasty looking B.O.W. In the chaos of his entry, Kennedy had forgotten to close the door behind him. How the zombie had managed to sneak up so quietly was another question entirely. He raised his knife up and slammed it into the monster's eye. Blood poured out of the wound, a bit splashing Leon's face as he removed his weapon. As his enemy fell to the floor, the wails of it's brethren echoed down the hall.

He held out his hand to the survivor as she crept out from behind her hiding spot, "Come on. It's time to go."

o-o-o-o-o-o

I decided to bust out this chapter instead of sleeping. I hope my tired brain was able to write this out coherently enough. I did a proofread, but I don't trust myself. Let me know.


	3. Distressed Damsel

~~~Chapter 3~~~

The past 48 hours had been a living nightmare for Evelyn Davis. In the seven years she had worked as a tour guide in the Capital Building Museum, never had she experienced such horror. There had been bomb threats, fights, robberies, but walking corpses was a whole new level of on the job danger. Of course, she had seen the news stories about these B.O.W.s. She had gasped and made comments to her husband about how terrible it must be, how her heart went out to the victims. Living it, however, was the only way to truly understand the extent of what these viruses can do. The night it happened, Evelyn had volunteered to stay late. There was a new display going up, and she had been happy to assist in getting it tour ready.

The first sign of something being wrong, was the fire alarm going off. Davis had been confused, knowing that no drill had been scheduled.

She looked at her coworker, Frank, who she had been assisting with the display, "You think there's really a fire?"

"You really want to find out?" He dropped his tools next to their project. "C'mon, Lynn. Let's head out to the plaza. Either way, they'll want us out of the building."

"True enough," She sighed and stood up from her crouch, brushing her hand against her lilac skirt. "Let's go, then."

As they made their way to the nearest exit, a scream could be heard over the alarms. The pair exchanged a look. Without words, they made the decision to check out the source of the cry. Making a left down a corridor, a crowd could be seen ahead. Picking up the pace, they made a beeline for the scene ahead. In the center of the crowd, a woman was on the ground, holding her neck, gurgling out cries of pain. Two more sat on each side of her, attempting to assist with the wound. A little behind the crowd three men were trying to wrestle a fourth to the wall. The man resisted, groaning and spitting, blood dripping down his chin. The crazed look in his eyes sent chills down Evelyn's spine.

"What's going on here?" Evelyn asked, trying to get a handle on the situation.

"That fucker bit her!" A young man in an oversized suit jacket blurted out, eyes wide. Likely a new intern, since Davis didn't recognize him. "He bit her right on the neck!"

Frank circled around the crowd to help subdue the attacker, and Evelyn passed her gaze over the onlookers. They all gaped at the scene before them. One even had her phone out to record the tragedy as it unfolded.

"Has anyone called the police?" The group exchanged blank looks. The woman glared at the girl taking video. "So, you have time to record, but not call a paramedic? Lord, help me…" Davis had left her on cell in her purse, so she snatched the one from the hands of the callous onlooker.

"Yes, hello? I'd like to report an emergency…" she paced the hall as she gave the details to the 911 operator.

"Do you think this is like what happened in D.C.?" The young intern asked nervously. "Like, you know… what are they? Bows?"

"Shut up, Will," another voice answered. "You're not helping."

"I mean it…" Will stammered, "What if it is that? We have to get out of here! It's, like, a virus! It spreads when they bite you!"

"I said shut up!"

Evelyn tried to ignore the exchange as she relayed as much information as she could to the operator, giving them her exact location.

The room got quiet as the victim's screams died out, and her body went still. The only sounds to be heard were the fire alarm, accompanied by the grunts and growls of the struggling attacker. Davis paused to put her eyes on the woman.

"Is she…?" Evelyn paused. The two who had been assisting the woman looked away from what was now a lifeless body. One met her eyes with a look that said everything. Suddenly, that expression changed into one of shock as a rattling sigh escaped the injured woman's lips. Davis forgot she was on the phone as she witnessed the corpse begin to jerk and convulse.

The crowd began to back away, the two makeshift nurses following suit. The bloody woman slowly lifted her body upright. The intern, Will, immediately turned tail and ran just as the walking corpse lunged at the nearest human. The zombie's target was able to dodge, and a man's scream drew everyone's attention. Distracted by the unfolding chaos, the men holding down the first zombie had relaxed their guard. The beast had managed to get a hold of Frank.

"Frank! No!" Evelyn cried, too late. The man's shoulder had already been torn into by gnashing teeth.

There was no time for the woman to mourn her friend. The female zombie rushed forward, snarling, as gore dripped from her throat. Davis was nearly knocked over, as the others rushed passed. The male corpse had lost interest in Frank and had also set it's eyes on the only stationary human in the hallway. Snapping out of her shock-induced stupor, she spun around into a sprint. Her low heels clacking across the floor. Remembering the cell in her hand, she shouted into the receiver.

"There's two now! I think they're infected with that virus!" Evelyn chanced a look over her shoulder. Her pursuers still followed, but fortunately, they didn't travel fast. "We need as many officers as you've got! They're biting people and spreading it!"

Screams and shouts erupted from up ahead. Turning the corner, the tour guide froze in her tracks. The rotunda was teeming with the undead. Her colleges had ran right into the thick of it. Some were being feasted on, while others were running back towards Davis.

"It's too late!" sobbed the intern as he limped toward the older woman, blood soaking the left leg of his suit. "They're everywhere!"

The phone slipped out of Evelyn's hand as she took in what she was seeing. It was a waking nightmare, too terrible to be true. She quickly collected herself, and decided to try a different route. Turning back down the hall. She decided on the next closest exit. The alarms continued to blare as she made her way through the building. More screams could be heard from different directions. A series of gunshots sounded from upstairs. The woman rounded another corner only to see a group of monsters pouring through an open set of double doors. The moans crept up from where she had come. Making a snap decision, Evelyn went through a door into an office. At the back of it was a cupboard. She slammed and locked the door, and emptied the storage receptacle, making enough room for her body. Closing the doors over herself, the relative safety of her location allowed her a moment to break down. Her body shook as she sobbed quietly into her hands. She thought of her husband, Derek, wondering if she'd ever see him again. She prayed her hiding place would keep her safe until help could arrive.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Leon waited for the survivor to come around the desk before leading the way forward. He decided to make bringing this woman to safety his priority before continuing with his mission. The barricades weren't far, and he thought he might be able to convince the B.S.A.A. to lend him a few men to help clear the museum, making his job easier.

"My name is Leon Kennedy," He told the woman as he walked. "What's your name?" He hoped a bit of conversation might calm the woman.

"I'm Evelyn," She answered softly. "Evelyn Davis."

"Do you work here, Evelyn?"

"…Yes."

"That's good news," The man said reassuringly. "You can help me pick a good way out of here."

A pair of zombies ambled ahead. Leon fired a shot into the brain of one and ran up and rammed his knife up through the jaw of the second.

Evelyn watched in quiet awe as Kennedy removed his blade from the cadaver and wiped it clean on the monster's shirt. "I don't think there is one," she paused. "I've been trying every way I know, but these… things are everywhere."

The brunette went back into stance as he continued forward, keeping his eyes open for trouble. "Well, I guess we'll just have to take the path with the least amount of 'things'. I know the main entrance is out. Is there a back way that you know of?"

"There is, but when I tried that way before, there were so many of them."

"Give me a number."

She thought for a moment, "I'm not sure at least a dozen."

"Are we talking, big open room, or a narrow hallway?"

Annoyed with all the questions, Davis raised a brow. "A hallway?"

"I can work with that," he decided, confidently. "Tell me which way to go."

Evelyn stopped and shook her head. "Just wait a second. Who are you?"

Leon came to a halt, turning his head, not his body. He crossed his arms impatiently, causing the leather of his black jacket to squeak softly. "I told you. Leon Kennedy."

"You know what I mean. Are you some kind of commando or something? "Cause I'm not following you into that death trap unless you've got some skills to back up this crazy plan of yours."

Kennedy sighed and faced the survivor. "I'm a special agent with the American government. I've been through this before. I know what I'm doing."

On cue, Hunnigan came through the line. "Leon, what is your status?"

The agent looked at Evelyn and tapped his ear to let her know he wasn't talking to her. "I found a survivor. An employee here. I'm going to escort her to the barricade."

"What about your mission? Have you found any clues to what happened?"

"Not yet. This place is crawling with B.O.W.s. Do you think you can put in a request to the B.S.A.A. to prioritize clearing this building?"

"I'll do what I can, Leon."

"Thanks, Hunnigan. Leon out," ending the transmission, he met Evelyn's gaze. "You ready?"

"I swear to god, if you get me killed, I will haunt you," she answered, cocking her head in the direction they needed to travel and beginning to walk.

Leon's mouth curled at the corners. "This might be a first," he thought. Leon Kennedy was not used to women listening to him.

o-o-o-o-o-o

I'd like to hear any thoughts on Evelyn. I really wanted to write in a female survivor, since Leon is always finding damsels in distress. It just felt right. I know this chapter Is a little heavy on her back story, but I wanted to give a good idea of who she was. Also, I was having fun, and got carried away.


	4. Where There's a Will, There's a Way

~~~Chapter 4~~~

The way to the exit was littered with the undead, but Leon lead the way, methodically disposing of the B.O.W.s as they appeared in their path. Wanting to conserve ammunition, he relied heavily on his blade. Evelyn couldn't help but be impressed. It was clear the man was telling the truth when he said he knew what he was doing. She left point to him and made a it her business to check their rear constantly. She'd been snuck up upon enough times during this ordeal to go more than a few steps without checking over her shoulder. The pair made good time, leaving a trail of bodies along the way.

The path ahead appeared to be clear, so Kennedy decided to ask his new acquaintance some questions. "Do you have any idea what happened to cause this?"

"No clue," Davis replied, stepping over a broken chair. "One minute, I was putting together a gold-mining display, the next all hell was breaking loose."

"How did you manage to survive this whole time?"

She let out a tired giggle, "Mostly, by hiding in a closet."

"Hey, whatever works, right?"

The woman laid a hand on Leon's back, signaling him to stop. "That door up ahead," she whispered, gesturing to the blandest entrance in the hallway. "That hallway will lead us out."

"Great. Let's go," he stepped lightly up to the door, gun raised, supported by his knife hand. He gestured to his companion to stay back. Holding that knife with two fingers, he used the remaining three to slowly open the door. "Well, that's definitely 'at least twelve'."

The cramped hallway was a sea of infected. It stretched out at least thirty feet, with a door or two lining the sides. The zombies were practically shoulder to shoulder, bumping each other as they attempted to move in the enclosed space. The special agent readied his weapons, trying to plan out his advance before the hostiles could close in. Before he made a move, a deafening crash sounded from the doorway at the end of the hall. The zombies reacted to the sound, turning toward it's source. Leon glanced back at Evelyn. A second blow to the door, splintered it's frame, causing sunlight to stream through in ribbons.

"We need to find a different exit," Kennedy breathed, as he grabbed his companion by the arm and began to run.

A third boom, and the door went flying. Behind it, silhouetted in sunlight was a horrendous giant. Shoulders wider than the doorframe, it bowed it's head and turned it's bulk to fit through. Seeing the humans fleeing in the distance, the beast trudged through the mob of infected, smashing them to the side with it's meaty arms. The massive B.O.W.'s body was masses of muscle and writhing appendages. It's small head was nested into bulging traps, beady eyes, darting back and forth.

"What the hell is that!?" Evelyn shrieked as they tore away from the monstrosity at their heels.

"You're asking me?" Leon spat, scanning the area ahead for an escape point.

Signaling, he turned into an open door. He slammed and locked the door before rushing into the next room. Davis followed, signaling him to take the following left. Behind them, the sound of the locked door being obliterated increased their sense of urgency. Exiting into yet another hallway, the pair found themselves heading for the building's central rotunda. Knowing how close the exit was, gave them a glimmer of hope. While the room was still populated with the undead, Leon's previous visit had lured many of them away. They dodged the bodies in their path, weaving through toward the exit. Echoing footsteps and the sound of furniture being crushed signaled the approach of their new friend. The neared the double doors of the exit, which were now closed. Kennedy slammed against them, turning both knobs.

"It's locked," he spun around to see their hunter enter the room and set eyes on it's prey.

Evelyn stared wide-eyed at her impending doom before turning to run toward the next nearest door. Leon was about to follow suit when he heard scraping marble. The statue in the center of the room began to slide backward, revealing a set of stairs, going down into a basement. The monster stopped it's pursuit as an older man stepped up from below.

"Mayor Bluth?" Evelyn stammered in disbelief, slowing her pace.

Leon caught up to her and they took their chance to get out of sight. The mayor seemed entirely unbothered by the scene around him. The man turned his head when he noticed the colossal beast to his left.

"Michael," he barked in an authoritative tone, "What on earth have you been doing? I've been looking all over for you!" He left the stairway before the statue slid back to conceal the opening.

The companions, now hiding behind a corner, exchanged puzzled looks. The monster groaned unintelligibly, lowering it's head.

"Come along," Bluth commanded. "We have no time to waste."

The unlikely pair walked through the zombies unnoticed and unharmed. One of the infected wobbled too close, and bumped into the mayor, rocking him backward.

"Piece of shit!" He yelled, punching the creature in the side of it's face. Leon noted that something fell out of his jacket pocket during the swing.

Kennedy noticed an enemy approaching from behind, quickly and quietly disposing of it. When he put his eyes back on the rotunda, the mayor and his pet had left sight.

"What the hell is happening right now?" Evelyn groaned, holding her head. "Am I trapped in an episode of The Twilight Zone?"

"There are strains of the virus that allow for the infected to discern between friend and foe," Leon explained. "The fact that the mayor isn't being attacked, is a pretty good indication that he's involved in this."

"What about that giant… thing?"

"Pet project?" Leon offered sarcastically. "Stay here. I need to check something."

Leon put down a few more infected while he crossed the room to where he had seen the mayor lose an object. He picked it up and examined it. It was a small medallion, about the size of a fifty-cent piece. On it was a relief of a crown. He looked back to the statue in the center of the room.

"This must be the key."

"Leon!" Evelyn exclaimed, backing away from a trio of zombies who had taken notice of her.

Kennedy rushed to her aid, putting a bullet in one as he closed distance. The second he took out with a swift kick to the head, sending it flying off the thing's shoulders and into a wall. The last attacker threw itself at Leon, chomping it's teeth.

"Oh, are you hungry?" He asked, sticking the barrel of his gun in it's mouth and pulling the trigger.

The scuffle had attracted the attention of the remaining B.O.W.s which were now closing in. More wobbled in from other entrances. Not wanting to waste any more ammo or energy, the former cop began his way to the statue.

"Follow me," he said, waving Davis along.

Upon reaching the marble display, Leon noted the description plaque, "Columbus' Last Appeal to Queen Isabella," he read out loud.

"Now is not the time, Leon," Davis urged, eyes darting back and forth to the approaching undead.

He took the medallion from his jacket pocket and placed it in a small recession beneath the plaque. Unsurprisingly, the statue slid backward once more. The duo hurried down the steps before the infected could catch up. It didn't take long for the mechanism to reverse, returning the structure to it's proper place. A zombie reached it's arm down just as the stone was reaching it's starting point, smashing the appendage and removing it from it's owner.

Evelyn watched the arm flop around for a moment before going still. She was having trouble absorbing the fact that she'd been walking past this secret passage every day without ever knowing of it's existence. She looked at Leon, clearly done with the entire situation. "What the fuck is this, National Treasure?"

o-o-o-o-o-o

Ada walked briskly through the capitol building as if she was only there on light business. She didn't bother to take down most of the infected in her path. They were so slow, it was hardly difficult for her to evade them. She was becoming increasingly annoyed. She had hoped her task would be easy, but she was having no luck finding the information she needed. She threw a high kick at a zombie that had dared to come too close. The sound of neck bones cracking was punctuated by the body hitting the floor.

"Where do you keep your secrets, Bluth?"

She heard a commotion from the rotunda and headed to the nearby balcony. Below her, Leon was sprinting across the room with an attractive woman.

"Replaced me so soon?" she asked, knowing he wouldn't hear.

Following behind them was a massive creature, clearly out for blood. Concerned, she looked back to Leon who had stopped at the seemingly locked entrance. Wong raised her gun. This wouldn't be the first time she'd saved the special agent's ass. As she lined up her aim, she heard the grinding of stone on stone. Mayor Bluth emerge from the secret passage in the center of the room.

"Bingo," she said with a sly smile.

She watched Leon and his friend sneak off as the exchange began between the mayor and the creature unfolded. Ada pulled out a small camera, snapping a few shots of the scene below. Her eyes narrowed at the item falling from the man's pocket.

"It really is my lucky day."

She waited for Kennedy and his companion to leave but was instead disappointed to see the man retrieve the mysterious dropped item. She clicked her tongue, wishing she had gotten to it first. The other woman called for help, and Wong was treated to a show of Leon's combat prowess. The woman couldn't deny that she loved watching him work. He truly was a sight to behold. Ada had a lot of respect for his abilities. If she were to be honest with herself, she had a lot of respect for him. The man had wormed his way into what was left of her tiny, broken heart back in Raccoon City, and she had never managed to snuff those feelings out. She did, however, do a great job of pretending they weren't there.

Six months ago, Leon had saved her. She often tried to forget that moment of coming to, with her head in his lap as he begged her to carry on. He had had tears in his eyes. The memory stirred feelings in her that she wasn't prepared to confront. Since that incident, she had actively avoided the man. She had her connections alert her of his mission locations so she could steer clear. The mercenary told herself it was because she couldn't afford to be captured, and his ties to the U.S. government would lead to her demise.

The subject of her thoughts brought Ada back to reality as he shouted at his partner. The two of them ran to the statue, unlocking the mechanism. As they ascended into darkness, Wong assessed the situation, calculating whether she could make it to the entrance before it closed. She clicked her tongue once more, knowing it wasn't going to happen. The statue returned to it's original position, with a dozen or so undead, circling the structure.

"Where there's a will, there's a way," she smirked and held up a decoy grenade, tossing it a few feet away from the horde.

o-o-o-o-o-o

I bet you thought I was done with the flashbacks, but you were wrong! I had to get some Ada in. I missed her. I hope all these flashbacks aren't confusing or just plain boring. I have an outline for where things will go from here, but I'm always open to suggestions and critiques. Please, review!


	5. Apologies

Hello, readers. I apologize for the long hiatus. I plan to not only continue this story, but rework it from the beginning, and resubmit the entire thing. Thank you to those following. Your patience is appreciated. Hopefully, I'll have some new reads for you soon.


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